Iran Rules Out World Bank Statement On Iran Payment Delay

Tehran, July 22, IRNA - Iran on Sunday ruled out the World Bank statement on Iran payment delay, the consequences of the unlawful sanctions on Central Bank of Iran. Deputy Minister of Economy Behrouz Alishiri said that the statement released by World Bank on Iranian payment delay is non-technical and totally wrong. World Bank blamed Iran for failure to reimburse the installments of loan and put the country in the list of those failing to honor their payment commitments, he said adding that the statement if not being regarded as politicized it should be regarded as non-professional, non-technical and totally wrong. Iran is among founder and shareholders of the World Bank and has received various loans from the bank and has paid all its installments in due time without any delay, he said. On this case, Iran has reimbursed the installments of its debits to the World Bank through an advisor bank in due time but the advisor bank has refrained from transferring the sum creating problem for Iran, he said. The World Bank, the professional banker of the United Nations knows well that imposing sanctions on central banks of the member states by US Administration is tantamount to declaration of war and gross violation of international law. On April 21, 2013, the Iranian commerce minister met with vice president of the World Bank to resolve the issue which had been created due to unilateral economic sanctions imposed by the US and the west to authorize transfer of Iranian payments to the World Bank, he explained. He said that after continued discussions between Iranian representatives to the World Bank, the financial manager of the bank declared that it has got permission from American officials for transfer of Iranian payments, but to no avail. Iran has paid some $10m from its debts to the world bank through the advisor banks but for reimbursing the remaining payment, the advisor banks should cooperate with Iran, Alishiri said. According to the views of the World Bank legal advisor, global sanctions set by the UN has nothing to do with the loans awarded by the World Bank but the bank under pressure of the US and some European countries has ceased awarding new loans to Iran, he said. He said that the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the shareholders of the World Bank will forward a letter to the President of the World Bank to protest failure of the global banker to proclaim violation of international law by the United States imposing sanctions on Central Bank of Iran./end